IN MY HUMBLE OPINION: Driving in Dar es Salaam- The might is right

Traffic’, by Tom Vanderbilt, is a favorite that I have had for over a decade and keep re-reading because it always provokes a new thought or allows for a new perspective on things.
 Let me start by saying, I do not find the traffic of Dar es Salaam particularly scary. Based on personal experience, my ranking from most to least scary would be Cairo, Addis Ababa, Lagos, Nairobi and then Dar.
So, how is our driving? As Vanderbilt points out, “You are not as good a driver as you think”. We all have our blind spot when it comes to our own driving.
One basic rule of driving in Dar is ‘might is right’. The bigger you are the less you have to worry about the rules and etiquettes of traffic. For example, trucks are to be deferred to and given a wide berth.
Make sure you catch the eyes of the driver before you cross path with a truck, and if he avoids eye contact, know that he is suspending the rules of traffic for the rules of the jungle: he is bigger he will do as he pleases. Though this seems ‘natural’ and we have adapted to it on our roads, it is actually counterproductive.
Every time we get near a truck we slow down and start weighing which rule applies, and when we get it wrong an accident happens.
But if we were all to stick to traffic rules then there would be less accidents and traffic would flow more efficiently (i.e. no need to slow down, the one who has right of way drives on without slowing down in the knowledge that the other driver will respect the law).
Daladalas – commuter buses – are known for their aggressive and unruly driving.
They will weave in and out of traffic, stopping and taking off suddenly, as they pick up and drop off passengers, rarely using their indicators. Presumably competing for passengers, you often find them overtaking each other.
As far as I can make it out, their attitude is that, if they play a bit fast and loose with the rules, then that is to be accepted and tolerated because they are working hard, while everyone else is out on what, by comparison, amounts to a pleasure cruise.
Obviously playing fast and loose with the rules leads to more accidents. Also, we have all adapted to this ‘attitude’ and slow down around daladalas, which, yet again, slows down the flow of traffic.
I am sure that driving a daladala from early morning to late night is extremely hard work, but the rules of traffic were designed to move as many vehicles as fast as possible through the city with the minimum number of accidents as possible and do not make allowances for ‘hard work’.

Traffic culture and norms – how we drive
Crossing over to the opposite lane, without any consideration for oncoming traffic, when there is a stationary obstacle in your own lane (e.g. a car has broken down) is also common on our roads.
Interestingly though, the rule of not overtaking unless the way is clear is generally adhered to. Obviously this attitude leads to unnecessary accidents.
A person driving along in his own lane would not expect an on-comer to swerve onto his lane just because that person is irritated by a stationary obstacle.  
Another biggie, standing docilely in traffic-jams is for ‘the meek’, ‘the daring’ (i.e. those brave enough to break the rules) get onto the opposite lane, the sidewalk, etc. to get farther then cut back in.
Surely you have noticed, this attitude spreads like a virus. One starts then many follow suit. And like a virus it weakens the system. Start-stop traffic flows much more efficiently when there is no ‘cut-in’ traffic.
Thus those who overtake illegally in traffic to cut back in later, slow the whole flow down merely for perceived gain.
And finally a local anecdotal quirk: if, in a junction, switching on the left turn indicator means you intend to go left and switching on the right turn indicator means you intend to go right then having both indicators on mean?
By conventional standards, it means that there is a hazard; you are not going anywhere, but here, it’s wrong. Ok, so maybe it means your car is splitting in two; one half going left, the other right – no it doesn’t. According to local traffic culture, it actually means you intend to go straight.
Apparently, not indicating anything when going straight, even though simpler, is not logical.
So what does this say about us as a society? We drive purposefully toward our destination and achieving that comes over and above rules and regulations, if we can get away with it. Our low respect for laws may be because of ignorance but more often from a narcissistic view whereby our self-interest and ego sit in the driving seat, rather than our civilized self.

Maria Sarungi Tsehai is a communication and media expert and founder of #ChangeTanzania